New Delhi: Even before India could voice its concerns around the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative by China, a part of the new trade route between China and Pakistan has been activated with goods reaching China from Pakistan, according to reports in Chinese newspapers.
Two tonnes of seafood arrived in Karamay, a city in Northwest China, on Saturday after traveling 34 hours from Gwadar port in Pakistan. According to Chinese media, an event was held in Karamay where many people tasted Pakistani seafood.
Containers with 16 types of deep-sea seafood, including lobsters and black sea bass, started shipping from Gwadar port.
The company which imported Pakistani meat in China is said to have opened its branch in Gwadar port in May, becoming the first Chinese enterprise to own a business licence in Pakistan. According to Chinese media, the company has invested as much as 510 million yuan ($74 million) to establish seafood freezing workshops, seafood deep processing workshops, an ice making factory, a sea water desalination factory, a packaging factory and a maritime scientific research center in Gwadar.
This is being seen as a sign of meticulous Chinese planning to make China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a section of OBOR, a success amid protests by India. A part of the route crosses Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Karamay and the Gwadar region were declared ‘friendly cities’ in 2015, as part of the OBOR initiative.
Pakistani government has supported Chinese companies and multi-billion dollar investment is said to be in pipeline. Besides, the upcoming railway project between China and Pakistan will largely cut the cost of shipping seafood.
Within next few weeks, Gwadar’s seafood is likely to be available in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Karamay and Urumqi.
A corridor between Xinjiang and Gwadar is slated to become operational within a year. By 2020, up to four percent of global trade is projected to make use of OBOR, providing Pakistan revenues of $6-$8 billion a year.
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